Only the Good Die Young
by SpyAgent001
Summary: One-shot, just after the female-titan arc. Captain Levi remembers his last birthday, before the 57th expedition, - a surprise party & a cake which Petra & Hange made, but wait when did that happen? Memory or dream? Then, to honor his squad in one of the only ways he can, Levi visits the forest and leaves a gift to honor Humanity's Finest.


**Pre-fic Author's Note:**

Dedicated to: My grandmother, Dorothy.

For the full effect, listen to the song "In Any Other World" by MIKA (lyrics posted below) before, during, or after reading this fic. Then read my post-fic author's note.

Dislaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan, nor do I profit it any way from this fic.

Also, I am used to spelling "Hanji" instead of "Hange," but the official spelling is that way, so that is how it is here. If you ship Levi/Petra, then you will probably see some of that here. I didn't write it that way, but they do have a nice scene together. You can say it's there if you want.

* * *

Blazing red and orange fiercely streaked across the sky, but the troubled man below could not see nature's canvass. Neither could he see the sun begin its daily descent. Then again, he had seen many beautiful sunsets like this one…but the last sunset so colorful, so vibrant, so _alive_ had been a brutal contrast to the events of that day for the troubled man below. Conflicted as he was, peace would soon find him.

~ O ~

_Clang_. Two of the Survey Corps' senior female members were waltzing around the kitchen. Seniority may have gotten them out of Levi's cleaning chores early, but it certainly did not guarantee the ability to securely hold bowls, spoons, and flour. A paper with a recipe was tacked onto the wall. The sweet smell of their afternoon's work wafted through the warm air.

"Levi's going to love this, Hange. I just know it!" said Petra.

"He better. I've spent the entire afternoon away from my experiments to do this! That, and we just used up a ton of sugar preparing this..."

"Aw, Hange, but you know you it's worth it."

"It is, but Petra, just because I feel like Levi's my brother does not mean that he feels like I'm his sister. I swear, he usually thinks I'm his evil step-mother or something," Hange said.

"No, that's just…"

"Levi being Levi? Yeah, tell me about it. Maybe one day he'll lighten up a little."

"I think he did after the last expedition."

"Oh, you think? I thought it had the opposite effect."

"Hm…I don't think so. You'll never believe this, but I found him on the roof yesterday. I had gone looking for him, but he hadn't been in his office. He was writing a letter, but he usually writes them in his office. I almost interrupted him, but decided not to. He rarely gets moments to himself, but I couldn't resist watching him for a minute more. I'm glad I did because he smiled, Hange. He smiled. It was a real smile - one only for him. I couldn't believe it, but I was glad that he can at least smile for himself. Not that he ever does around the rest of us."

"I know. I wish he didn't think he needed to be so…stone-faced all the time. Hey, maybe we can get him to smile happily for us just once."

"That'll be the day. I hope I'll see it one day. If I ever do, then I can die happy."

"Oh! It's done. Stick it in the 'oven,' and I'll go get the others and the decorations. Will you go keep him busy for an hour?"

"Not that I need to as I'm sure he does that all by himself, but I'll go keep him company."

Hange gleefully skipped out of the room to round up the usual suspects. She couldn't wait to break out the decorations Petra had bought last week in the market. This might be their one and only chance to celebrate with all of them since the next expedition was only days away.

~ O ~

Petra's faint smile turned into a noticeable one when she knocked on her captain's door.

"Come in, Petra."

_Oh?_

"Good afternoon, Heichou. How are you?" Petra said as she closed the intricate door behind her. "And how did you-"

"You are the only one who knocks like that - softly three times. Just fine, but if Hange sends me one more request for a sketch artist to draw portraits of the next titans she is allowed to capture…" Levi let the faint threat linger.

Petra couldn't help but giggle at the thought of any sketch artist starting at titans all day much less being able to draw such dumb expressions.

"Levi, you should just approve it to make her happy. How many sketch artists can you think of who would possibly sit near titans? And to draw them? For Hange?"

"Oi, good point. Hm…maybe that'll be her birthday gift this year. Two titans with one fly-by, eh? Then she can't ask me for anything for at least a month," Levi schemed.

"Yeah, I remember last year when she wouldn't stop asking you what you got her for her birthday. This gift could top the new pen you finally gave her…"

"It better."

Comfortable silence hung in the air for a few moments.

"Petra, what did you need?"

"Oh, I just came to ask you if you needed anything, maybe like help with paperwork for an hour or two. I don't have much else to do."

"Are you sure?" Levi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's that or try to break up the argument between Jean and Eren that I heard walking here…"

_Stupid brats. I should give them cleaning duty._

"Yes, help would be nice. I hope you never have to do all this one day. It takes up too much damn time," said Levi.

"Here, let me take that stack."

They sat in friendly silence for at least an hour working on Special Operations Squad paperwork. Petra made sure to sign every single form that she needed to before she finally broke the silence an hour later.

"Hey, Levi?"

"Hm?" he absentmindedly responded as he continued reading.

"Are you hungry?"

~ O ~

"Surprise!" yelled everyone, including one Petra Ral standing next to one unsuspecting Captain Levi.

Everyone was actually shocked that he appeared slightly surprised - he never showed the slightest sign of it.

"Levi! Petra and I made you a birthday cake! I know you hate celebrating it, but we wanted to at least once, with all of us! Please please tell me you'll at least be normal for an hour and celebrate with us?" exclaimed Hange.

Levi looked around. Everyone in the Survey Corps for whom he cared at all were there. The rest of his team - Oluo, Eld, Gunther, and Eren - was gathered around the lit cake. Hange's decorating job highlighted the background which was usually boring gray castle stone. Surreal couldn't even cover it. Never had anyone even attempted to bake him a cake or throw him a party of his own. The banner against the far wall boldly proclaimed "For Humanity's Strongest Soldier." The cake, rather large as it was, was a work of art in a still-messy kitchen. Tch. He almost made a snarky remark about the subtle cravat drawn in icing, but somehow he resisted.

He couldn't have avoided it if had tried. No human with a beating heart could have.

Levi smiled.

~ O ~

Beautiful gray eyes slowly opened to be hit with the dying sunset.

_Damn._

Levi slowly stretched his slightly stiff arms and legs out as the last daylight filtered through the forest. The oak tree, old and tall, had been the perfect place to take a short nap. It also happened to be the perfect place to place a lone tombstone bearing the names of some of humanity's greatest and the Wings of Freedom. A tombstone hand-made to last until the last person on Earth took their final breath. It was cold, hard, and short. Nothing new for humans living in a time such as this.

Levi placed the sealed pine box wrapped in a Survey Corps cloak containing his letters in a hole at the base of the stone. It wasn't the only hole present, but the second could not be so easily fixed. Time would eventually create a scar. The pain would eventually stop.

_This is my last goodbye. It was an honor to have served with you all. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten, and I will avenge you one day. Until then, rest in peace, my friends._

Petral Ral

Eld Jinn

Gunther Schultz

Oluo Bozado

First Special Operations Squad of the Survey Corps under the leadership of Captain Levi Rivai.

Humanity's Finest soldiers may rest in peace knowing their noble sacrifice in battle will never be forgotten.

Thank you.

**For the glory of humanity.**

**Jiyuu no Tsubasa**

A single, lonely tear darkened the stone. It was the only one.

* * *

"In Any Other World" by MIKA

In any other world

You could tell the difference

And let it all unfurl

Into broken remnants

Smile like you mean it

And let yourself let go

'Cause it's all in the hands

Of a bitter bitter man

Say goodbye

To the world you thought you lived in

Take a bow

Play the part of a lonely lonely heart

Say goodbye

To the world you thought you lived in

To the world you thought you lived in

I tried to live alone

But lonely is so lonely alone

So human as I am

I had to give up my defenses

So I smile and try to mean it

To let myself let go

'Cause it's all in the hands

Of a bitter bitter man

Say goodbye

To the world you thought you lived in

Take a bow

Play the part

Of a lonely lonely heart

Say goodbye

To the world you thought you lived in

To the world you thought you lived in

'Cause it's all in the hands of a bitter bitter man

Say goodbye

To the world you thought you lived in

Take a bow

Play the part of a lonely lonely heart

Say goodbye

To the world you thought you lived in

To the world you thought you lived in

Say goodbye

To the world you thought you lived in

Say goodbye

To the world you thought you lived in

Say goodbye

In any other world

You could tell the difference

"I never ever I forget my story. My face is not sad, but inside I am sad."

* * *

**Post-fic Author's Note:**

So, did I make you cry? I almost did just writing this. I'll leave you to decide if it was just a dream or a dream in another world.

On the day I wrote this (Thurs 3 April 2014), we celebrated my grandmother's 85th birthday (it's not quite her birthday yet though), so in honor of that I am writing this lovely little piece to commemorate. I never know if this will be the last one, and that feeling is what drove this piece. It practically wrote itself.

I do hope that you enjoyed this fic as I wrote it for myself and anyone else who wished to remember. If you liked it, please do leave me a comment about it in a review, PM, email, whatever. I'd love to know what you thought, if you liked it, if you cried, etc. For me, this fic marks the beginning of going back to writing. I haven't been able to write anything for what is essentially a year, but writing a sad fic comes naturally. I don't have to imagine those feelings. Again, I sincerely hoped that you enjoyed this. Write a review. Share it with a friend maybe. Do what you want.

Thoughts on this fic: It was meant to be bittersweet. Hope the title didn't spoil it too much. Imagine Levi solemnly riding out to a small forest near the castle base and simply reflecting on the recent events. In my mind, Petra did get to die happily because Levi did, for once, let go and smile like a person who doesn't carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. I wanted to write a fic to both show how we all are affected by death, but I also wished to honor the original Squad Levi. Also, imagine whatever cake you like - I wanted you, the reader, to put yourself in Levi's mind. Make the sunset something you see yourself. Let that one tear be yours. It's what I did while writing it.

Thank you for reading!

There will be more fics coming soon, and I'm planning a long epic starring an OC and Levi. Well, one main OC and a few others. This fic is also available on A03 (same title)

Carry on,

L

Originally posted: 4 April 2014


End file.
